TIES THAT BIND | Negan Smith

4. Ghosts of the Past

Negan had opted to taking one of the supply trucks to his and Athena's new community while the woman preferred the solitude of riding on her motorcycle.

She planned on arriving a few minutes after her people, allowing her co-leader to do the introductions and get settled in, knowing how tiresome and irritating new folks under their control should be.

Considering how pissed off she already was at the Alexandria citizens, she figured it was for the best that he took care of that part so she didn't accidentally fly off the handle and kill everyone in sight.

When she approached the destination with the directions given to her by one of her Saviors, she couldn't entirely help the shock that overcame her. The walls built around the community were tall and strong. And the fortress was by no means small, so she had no idea how her and her people had missed it for so long.

Athena was careful to wipe away whatever residue of surprise that had managed to slip on her features, though, when she got to the open and awaiting gate of Alexandria.

Negan and her people were already standing there in a large group, standing in such a way that Athena couldn't see past them to the citizens of the community they had just taken over in the last couple of days.

"Speak of the deviless!" Negan's voice boomed boisterously as he spun on his heel with a wide grin, watching as the blonde approached on her bike, coming to a stop a few feet away from him, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you the feared Savior you've heard so much about."

Athena resisted the urge to roll her eyes and suppressed a smirk as he introduced her, clearly already having talked her up to the people that were no doubt now quivering at his feet. He always had a habit of boasting about her when she wasn't around- claiming that she was his much more dangerous and fearsome counterpart.

The leather jacket she wore whenever leaving the Sanctuary clung to her skin tightly as she pushed a fistful of blonde curls from her face and swung her leg over her motorcycle, dismounting from the bike in one graceful movement.

Smith had turned back to the people before him, "Now, if y'all thought I was bad a couple nights ago," A dark chuckle left his lips as the man softly shook his head back and forth, "Just wait until you hear how she reacted to the little stunt you pulled at our outpost."

Red, hot anger flickered to life inside of the woman's stomach at the mention of her slaughtered people as she strode forward with self-assurance and power radiating off of her, taking great pleasure in the way the citizens- even her own people- stopped to gape. The heels of her black boots clipped menacingly against the paved road, attracting every and all pairs of eyes to her immediately.

Negan grinned broadly and genuinely, clear pride and adoration painting his features as he gazed upon her.

Even when she came to a stop at his side, not a single pair of eyes left her as she slowly swept her gaze over the people before her, "To start us off," She spoke smoothly, venom dripping from her tone as she watched the uneasy faces of the men and women before her, "Which one of you was responsible for the massacre of my-"

Athena cut herself off as her gaze locked on one person and one person alone. A man, standing dead center and slightly in front of the other people- it was a wonder he hadn't even been the first one the woman had looked at.

But now she couldn't look away.

Not as the air was all but ripped from her lungs. Not as her heart stopped beating in her chest all together. Not as her mind was wiped completely blank. Not as a sharp and sudden pain was sent straight through her entire being.